California

Central Valley

Volunteers Work to Reclaim an City's Watershed From Trash and Abuse

The Tuolumne River originates in the pristine environment of Yosemite National Park, but eventually some of the water makes its way into the Central Valley and the city of Modesto, where conditions are far less natural.

August 16, 2019 - The Modesto Bee

Transbay Transit Center

Cracked Beams Repaired, Commuters Return to San Francisco's Transbay Terminal

After a ten-month closure necessary after inspectors found cracked beams in the Transbay transit terminal mere weeks after opening, regular bus operations finally returned to the $2.2 billion facility earlier this week.

August 16, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

American Planning Association 2015

A Retiring Dean Considers the Changing Responsibilities of Planners

Former L.A. City Councilmember and retiring Cal Poly College of Environmental Design Dean Michael Woo reminds readers of the visionary responsibilities of elected officials to ensure the plans of today indeed consider the needs of tomorrow.

August 16, 2019 - The Planning Report

Oakland

Gentrification and Race in the San Francisco Bay Area

A feature article revisits the gentrification and displacement discussion, especially as it pertains to racial and economic demographics, in one of the nation's most troubled and challenging housing markets.

August 14, 2019 - The Mercury News

Sacramento Regional Transit

Obsolete Bus-Stop Sign or Treasured Memorabilia?

Sacramento Regional Transit is overhauling its bus system in September, so they old signs for stops will have to go. Instead of scrapping the old signs, the agency is giving them away for collectors' items.

August 14, 2019 - The Sacramento Bee

Foothill Gold Line Light Rail Extension

Light Rail to Be Extended East of Los Angeles Again

The longest rail line in the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority system will be extended again, and could eventually cross county lines.

August 13, 2019 - Daily Bulletin

Oakland skyline and San Francisco Bay

Battle of the Bay: Oakland Ahead of San Francisco in Housing Construction

Call it a role reversal: Oakland is building far more apartments and housing units than San Francisco—a reversal of the history of development in the Bay Area.

August 13, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

Los Angeles County Sprawl

Los Angeles County Sets 2050 Carbon Neutrality Target

Land use and transportation planning will play key roles in an effort by Los Angeles County to achieve carbon neutrality in 30 years.

August 12, 2019 - Smart Cities Dive

Los Angeles STreet

Level of Service Canceled in Los Angeles

The Los Angeles City Council voted to officially end the use of Level of Service in measuring environmental impact in favor of a more people-friendly measure: vehicle miles traveled.

August 12, 2019 - Streetsblog Los Angeles

Housing Construction

Report: Impact Fees Add 18 Percent to the Cost of Housing in California

Development impact fees in California triple the national average. A bill in the State Legislature would reform the state's development fees, as one measure in an effort to build more housing in the state.

August 11, 2019 - The Mercury News

Bio Gas Installation Cows

Renewable Natural Gas Makes Inroads in California, Oregon, and Missouri

What is expected to be the nation's largest dairy biogas operation opened in the Central Valley. To the north, Gov. Kate Brown signed the nation's first bill to establish goals to add renewable gas to pipelines, and pigs in Missouri also made news.

August 10, 2019 - NGT News

Celebrity

Kanye West Lacks Permits for the Prototype Housing Units He Built

Kanye West's first foray into the development business is off to an inauspicious start.

August 9, 2019 - TMZ

Alamo Square

'The Last Black Man in San Francisco' Pays Homage to the City’s People and Places

The film captures a gentrifying San Francisco by incorporating many subtle details about the city's past and present.

August 9, 2019 - San Francisco Examiner

Parking

Why a Small Town Ditched 'Bargain' Parking Meters

At 25 cents an hour, Nevada City, California's meter rates weren't bringing in enough to pay the employees managing them. A fourfold increase will also help the town confront wildfire risk.

August 9, 2019 - CityLab

Regional Transit

S.F. Bay Area's Caltrain Proposes Major Expansion

The agency wants to increase service and extend its infrastructure to move Caltrain from a commuter rail system to an integrated urban transit network.

August 8, 2019 - The Mercury News

Natural Gas

California Takes Step Toward Replacing Gas with Electricity in Buildings

Two weeks after Berkeley became the nation's first city to outlaw natural gas lines in new buildings, the California Public Utilities Commission voted to update an old regulation to allow funding for 'fuel switching' from gas to electric appliances.

August 7, 2019 - Utility Dive

Church

'Yes In God's Backyard' Offers a New Way Forward for Housing Advocates

San Diego housing advocates have coined a new term: "YIGBY," or "Yes in God's Backyard," to advance prospects for affordable housing development on property underutilized by houses of worship. The city's planning department is receptive.

August 7, 2019 - Next City

Newport Beach High-Rise

Lawsuits: Not Just for Development Opponents Anymore

Details of the "Sue the Suburbs" movement wielding a new legal tool to counteract the traditionally obstructionist methods of land use regulation in California.

August 6, 2019 - The Mercury News

Suburban California

A Call for Action as Construction Slows in California

An editorial by the Los Angeles Times calls for the state to remove barriers to housing shortage after a report finds declining numbers of residential permits around the state.

August 6, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

Glendale, California

Repowered Southern California Natural Gas Power Plant Will Have Lots of Green

Most of the aging 350-megawatt Grayson Power Plant, operated by Glendale Water & Power, will be retired by 2021. The city's utility district has struggled with how to repower it. A compromise reached last month ensures low emissions and reliability.

August 5, 2019 - Greentech Media

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.